Mechanical ventilation is one of the most widely used techniques of treatment of patients particularly in the intensive care units of hospitals. Proper management of patients on the ventilator and safe and timely weaning and extubation of patients are the objectives that serve as key factors in expediting recovery and reducing the mortality and morbidity risks associated with the treatment. A system that can provide expert advice to clinicians for such treatment and that can automatically and safely wean the patients from the ventilator can be a valuable tool in achieving these objectives.
Attempts to provide expert advice for mechanical ventilation have been described. There have been systems for treatment of ARDS patients only. See D. F. Sittig et al., “Implementation of a Computerized Patient Advice System Using the HELP Clinical Information System,” Computers and Biomedical Research, Vol. 22, pages 474-487, 1989. There have also been expert and control systems developed for use in pressure support mechanical ventilation mode only. See M. Dojat et al., “Evaluation of a Knowledge-Based System Providing Ventilatory Management and Decision for Extubation,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 153, pages 997-1004, 1996.
However, the previous techniques were developed for use in specific ventilation modes or were designed for specific groups of patients. What is needed is an expert and control system for a mechanical ventilator that may be customized according to patient needs to address a broader field of respiratory conditions and therapies.